UsedScore

2018 Subaru Forester: Use caution

Owners filed 351 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 203 for every 100,000 sold: 1.6× the rate of a typical Forester year. That's above average, so use caution.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (41% of complaints, median 20,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.6×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Forester year
Rank
10th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
351
first five years; 203 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
3
campaigns
4th generation, 2014–2018 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring

Photo: 2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring · Cutlass, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Visibility41% · 145 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  2. Air bags12% · 42 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  3. Speed control8% · 27 complaints · median 18,000 miles
  4. Electrical13% · 44 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  5. Brakes5% · 16 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  6. Engine5% · 19 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  7. Powertrain5% · 18 complaints · median 4,000 miles
  8. Fuel and propulsion3% · 12 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  9. Steering3% · 12 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  10. Body and structure3% · 10 complaints · median 12,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Owners of this Forester commonly describe the passenger-side airbag warning light coming on intermittently, showing the airbag as deactivated even when someone is seated. Many say dealers pointed to a faulty sensor or wiring harness, but numerous owners report their vehicle wasn't covered by an existing recall and parts were often on backorder.

Warning signs:
Many report a dashboard warning light or SRS message indicating the passenger airbag is off, sometimes flickering on and off during driving.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed a faulty occupant detection sensor mat, seat cushion, or wiring harness, though many owners say the part was back-ordered or the vehicle's VIN was excluded from an existing recall so repairs were not made free of charge.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 30,000 miles, among 29 complaints that give it

“The front passenger air bag indicator illuminated and flashed on and off”

“the diagnostic test discovered that the occupant detection system mat was defective and needed to be replaced”

Speed control

Owners describe their Forester suddenly accelerating on its own, most often at low speeds while parking or slowing down, sometimes causing collisions with objects, walls, or other vehicles. Many say dealers could not find a cause, leaving the intermittent surging unresolved.

Warning signs:
Many report engine revving or RPM spikes, high idle, jerking, lurching, or the brake pedal feeling unresponsive just before the surge, though some say there was no warning.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the issue; a few report cleaned air filters, black-box data pulls, or a transmission replacement without full resolution.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 30,000 miles, among 20 complaints that give it

“If you slightly pull off the brake the car will want to jolt forward.”

“I went to shift into park and when the gearshift lever started to move the car accelerated uncommanded and ran into the building.”

Visibility

Many owners of this Forester report windshields cracking with little or no visible cause, sometimes even while the car sat parked. Repairs usually mean an out-of-pocket windshield replacement, and several say the cracking happened again later.

Warning signs:
Owners describe hearing a pop, ping, or bang, or simply noticing a small chip or crack that then quickly spread across the glass within hours or days.
What shops did:
Owners report dealers or glass shops replacing the windshield, sometimes with EyeSight camera recalibration, though many say the replacement was not covered under warranty and repeat cracking occurred afterward.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 30,000 miles, among 114 complaints that give it

“Nothing was seen or heard striking the windshield before the crack suddenly appeared.”

“There was no crack in the windshield when I parked the car. There was no rock chip on the way up.”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (3)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 21V587000July 2021175,968 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V701000October 2019366,282 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.

    Risk: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 18V455000July 20183,654 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels · Tires

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Risk: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Subaru sent NHTSA 405 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2018 Forester. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • Subarunet Announcement · July 2024This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program.
  • 17-19-24 · March 2024Due to limited part supply, the availability of the passenger front seat cushion may not satisfy demand.
  • 10-98-20R · April 2021This bulletin announces availability of new A/C compressor assemblies designed to address customer concerns of reduced system performance accompanied by a rattling and / or scraping type sound.
  • 17-17-13R · March 2020This bulletin provides information regarding Event Data Recorder (EDR) functionality which has been incorporated into the airbag system.
  • WUM-98R · March 2020Subaru of America, Inc.
  • Subarunet Announ · February 2020Owner notification WUM-98 Forester Passenger-side Front Airbag ODS Recall.
  • 07-152-19R · January 2020This bulletin announces availability of new power window switch assemblies.
  • Subaru Retailers · January 2020The available inventory update for the WUM-98 harness

All 2018 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2018 Subaru Forester reliable?
Owners filed 351 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 203 for every 100,000 sold: 1.6× the rate of a typical Forester year. That's above average, so use caution. Ratings compare Forester years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2018 Forester problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (41%), the air bags (12%) and speed control (8%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2018 Subaru Forester been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Subaru Forester, the most recent in July 2021 (fuel system, gasoline). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. The 2018 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate